Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday + Rimmel London Clouds

Hello everyone!
Another post with pictures taken with my digital camera :/ I can't believe I haven't received my new card yet. Anyway... I bought a set of Deborah Lippmann polishes "Get This Party Started" a couple of weeks ago and I have been trying different manicures with it. My favourite must be Happy Birthday over a white base. It looks lovely. The set wasn't a great purchase, but I will do a seperate post about it.
PS. Excuse my cuticles :/

Crush on crushed velvet flocked nails

Mu crushed velvet manicure is finally here!!!
I have been looking for crushed velvet flock for a reasonable price and it took me over 2 weeks to find it on ebid  for £0.99 plus £0.81 delivery!!! There is 4 colours in one pack. What a bargain! If you buy more colours, you get a p&p discount.
If you want to splash your cash on more colours there is a pack of 12 from theglitterpot for £14.49  here.

The manicure is very simple:
1.Paint your nail with a nail polish similar in colour to the flocking you want to use.
2.Dip your nail into a pot of flocking powder.
3.Press the flocking powder onto your nail firmly and blow off any excess.
4.Repeat on all nails and there you have fluffy, cuddly, soft nails :) amazing!

PS. I am sorry for the picture quality. I lost my XD card for my SLR and I had to use my ordinary digital camera. I am very upset about that, because I love good quality pictures :/ I ordered a replacement and my photography will be back to normal after the weekend.

BUDGET BLUSHERS: Accessorize Scandal, MUA in shades 1 and 4

I picked up a few blushers from Superdrug and I thought I will do a quick comparison.

I love blushers and I can't imagine my makeup without them. It just looks unfinished to me. 

I don't stick to one shade, I like to try different ones. It also depends on the colour of my skin. In summer I am usually very tanned, so I go for bronzers or blushers with gold shimmer.

At the moment, I am in love with pretty pinks and peachy shades.

I bought 2 MUA blushers in shades 1 and 4 and a cute accessorize blusher in shade 6-Scandal.

ACCESSORIZE MERGED BAKED BLUSHER- 6- SCANDAL

First of all, I love the packaging. It is absolutely gorgeous! The product itself looks really pretty, I love the swirls of different colours. It really caught my eye in the shop and I couldn't resist it! I am so glad I picked it up. The pigmentation is great and it looks perfect on my skin! It is a lovely shimmery(but not too shimmery) medium pink with a little bit of light gold highlighter. I am very impressed! It costs £5 and it feels really luxurious!
It became my favourite blusher!

MUA BLUSHERS

SHADE 1

I really like to use it when I want to achieve a natural look. It is a light pink with a bit of shimmer.

There is a little fall out, but for £1 you can't go wrong. I think that it suits all skin tones, so if you get a chance, pick it up from Superdrug. The packaging is nice and simple and  there is 6 different shades to chose from. I wasn't very keen on trying MUA, I thought... 1£ makeup must be terrible. It isn't! I can't wait to try other MUA products.

SHADE 4

This is another shade that will suit all skin tones. It is a warm peachy colour and it feels very nice and smooth when applied on my cheeks. It has got just the right amount of shimmer and I really like it. Both MUA blushers have got great pigmentation and are really worth trying.

SWATCHES

Top: Accessorize blusher. 

Left: MUA shade 4

Right: MUA shade 1

Real Techniques Core Collection Brushes by Samantha Chapman

I am sure you already heard about the Real Techniques brushes, so I won't be going into detail in this quick post. 

All I want  to say is: I can't believe I used to do my make up without the real techniques brushes! 

They are amazing! The bristles feel unbelievably soft, the design is great and they are very well made. 

I own Eco tools brushes that are really soft, but Real Techniques ones are even softer! 

The set includes 4 full-size brushes and a ravel case, which can also be used as a stand.

detail brush: I use it to apply concealer, but you can also apply lipstick with it.

pointed foundation brush: use it to apply liquid foundation

buffing brush: I use it to apply foundation, powder and blusher... It is my favourite brush from this set and I use it all the time.

contour brush: I apply highlighters and bronzers with this brush, to contour my face.

you can get the set from Boots for £21.99

XEN -TAN review with before and after pictures: Dark Lotion, Face Tanner Luxe and Deep Bronze Luxe

Today I would like to introduce you to my favourite fake tan brand: Xen-Tan. I found out about this brand from my sister in law about  2 years ago and I have been obsessed ever since.  I looked for their products online and found them on www.feelunique.com. I paid about £35 for 2 bottles of the Dark Lotion and £15 for the Face Tanner Luxe. Unfortunately Feelunique doesn't sell the Dark Lotion Duo anymore, but you can buy one bottle for £24.45.

Xen-Tan Dark Lotion  £24.45

This product is my personal favourite and I am addicted to it. The only time I stopped using it, was after having my baby, when I was too tired and I didn't even think about fake tan :)  I love everything about Dark Lotion.  It smells gorgeous, it is creamy and gives a streak free finish. It gives me a perfect olive tan, it leaves my skin silky soft and the results are long lasting.

If you exfoliate your skin properly and moisturise dry areas, like elbows and knees prior to application, you will be amazed with the results. If you want to have a nice tan at all times it is recommended once a week (in my experience, every 4-5 days).

I usually apply it with the Xen-Tan mitt, but I started using disposable gloves and I quite like the results. If you want to buff it in properly-use the tanning mitt. I don't recommend using your bare hands, the lotion is really hard to remove. 

Xen-Tan Face Tanner Luxe Medium/Dark 80ml  £16.95

You can use the Dark Lotion on your face and body, but if you want better results, I would recommend buying the Face Tanner. The formula is lighter and it is made for everyday use. You don't have to use a mitt or gloves, as it is a gradual tanner. Just make sure you wash your hands after application. It smells lovely, leaves my skin really soft and gives it a nice healthy glow. 

DEEP BRONZE LUXE WEEKLY SELF-TAN- DARK* £21.50

The last Xen-Tan product I would like to mention is the Deep Bronze Luxe. I think I actually like it more than The Dark lotion. The consistency is just as nice, so is the gorgeous smell. But what won me over is the fact that I can apply it with my bare hands and it doesn't stain them. The final effect looks even more natural than Dark Lotion. It gives a  slightly lighter tan, but I love it! You can see the effects below:

*PR sample

WHITE FISH EGG MANI DISASTER

I ordered "micro" beads in white about a week ago and I was very disappointed to see that they were not the size I wanted. They are too big for the lovely fish egg/caviar manicure I have done before and the final effect looks a little bit weird. Perhaps like a nail disease/fungus? it could work on a photoshoot for a Snow Queen, but not in real life. Oh my... According to my husband it looks more like polystyrene :) haha.

The seller advertised the beads as "white caviar beads in ciate caviar manicure style" .... I don't think so! The size difference is huuuuuge!

I sprinkled some glitter dust on top, I couldn't resist it, haha :) The photos are cool though.

And here is my previous caviar manicure, that was a success CLICK

Nails & Accessories

I got a few requests for OOTD posts, but I don't feel comfortable adding proper outfit posts, so I am cheating again and sharing some random snaps. I prefer focusing on accessories, nails and makeup anyway.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend xxx

Jumper:H&M £7.99

Leggings:Primark 5.99

Necklace:Primark £1

Bracelets: Ted Baker Charry Bow bangle £45, forever 21 studded cuff £5.65, studded bracelet-ebay

Rings:Dorothy Perkins-set for £3, Orange Arty inspired ring-Ebay £7.98

Nails: Sally Hansen Nail Laquer-So much Fawn and Mavala in Sparkling Gold

MOISTURISING WITH APICARE NEW ZEALAND

Hi everyone.
I received a few products from Apicare New Zealand over a week ago and I have been moisturising my face, hands and body with them, every chance I got :) They all smell amazing and I can recommend them to anybody who loves the feeling of silky smooth, soft and  nourished skin.
If you are not familiar with the brand, have a look at their website with many Natural Manuka Honey Skincare products. Here is a link www.simplymanuka.co.uk

 

  

RESTORE ME HONEY NUT BODY BUTTER*

I need to admit, I always loved body butters, I think they are so much better than ordinary body lotions. This one feels very creamy and luxurious, it sinks into my skin really fast, it is non greasy and I love using it. It is made with Manuka Honey, Aloe Vera and natural oils of Macademia, Sweet Almond and Jojoba. I am so glad that I received this product. It leaves my skin soft and nourished and it helped with the dryness on my knees and elbows. The 250g tub costs £14.81 and you can get it here.

REPAIR ME INTENSIVE TREATMENT HANDCREME*

Another product I have been testing is the Repair Me hand cream. I honestly can't imagine my life without hand creams. I do a lot of house work and my hands need extra care. As soon as I received this cream I placed it next to the hand wash to make sure I use it at all times. It smells amazing! I have never smelt anything like this before. It is highly concentrated so you only need a tiny pea size amount to moisturise your hands. The first time I used it I squeezed out quite a lot and I ended up moisturising my full body, as I didn't want to waste it. It contains soothing Calendula oil, Aloe Vera and UMF 16+ Active Manuka honey. 

When I see Calendula Oil on the list of ingredients I am a very happy girl. WHY? Calendula ointment was the only thing that cured my... massacred nipples (sorry for the details) when I was breastfeeding. Nothing else helped me and believe me, there was blood and tears... So when I see products with calendula oil I know they will most likely be great.

This hand cream is really worth investing in, as a little goes a long way and it makes my hands silky smooth. It also improved the condition of my cuticles. It costs £14.29 for 130g and you can get it here.

  

MANUKA NATURAL VITAMIN E DAY CREME*

This face cream is an anti-aging formula for normal and combination skin. I am 24 and I noticed first wrinkles on my forehead... I was a little bit shocked with the deepness of them, so I started using anti-aging creams. Don't laugh at me. I am terrified of aging and in my opinion it is never to early to start preventing wrinkles. This day cream is made with Vitamin E to protect from oxidative damage and also contains an anti-aging formula with hyaluronic acid to attract and hold moisture to the skin.

The texture of this cream is very light, what makes the cream easily absorbed. If I don't have makeup on, I like to use it during the day. I am getting slightly obsessed with moisturising... 

Can you overdo it?

90g costs £25.54 and you can get it  here.

 *PR samples